Matthew 9:16-17 ESV No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.
This is an unusual passage which taken out of context makes little sense and is often misused. The context is that Jesus is answering a question about why His disciples do not fast as other pious Jews did. His answer is that His disciples will fast after He is gone and then He states the passage above.
What the statement is saying is that old and new cannot mix. When one tries to put them together it causes problems. The question was about fasting which was part of the Jewish religion and culture. Jesus’ answer was that His disciples will fast but they won’t be doing it in the same way. A new system was going to be introduced that required a new style of worship and ways of thinking.
God instituted the Jewish religion through Moses. He gave strict and static laws and regulations that people needed to follow in very specific ways. This was necessary because God did not speak to most people directly and when He did it was a rare occasion. Also, God did not regularly give His people supernatural ability. The people had to follow the rules by their own strength. Hence, the detailed instructions which included how to makes sacrifices to atone for failure to uphold the laws given.
Christianity is different from Judaism in many ways despite serving the same God. One of the most significant differences is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the Christian. Under the New Covenant, God has chosen to live in His children. The Holy Spirit communicates directly with individuals on a regular basis (if they will listen) and empowers Christians to live holy lives if they will humble themselves to make use of His power.
This means there is no more need for static rules. Christians live in obedience by hearing God and following His direction and commands. True Christian life is a living relationship. It is listening to God and doing what He says. For example, just today God spoke to my heart and told me to do something. I really didn’t want to but I complied and afterwards I knew God was pleased. Had I refused, it would have been a sin as I would have been disobeying God. I invited my wife to join me in this activity. She declined. It was not a sin for her to not do it as God had not directed her as He had me.
There are some universal truths. Unforgiveness, adultery, greed, and idolatry to name a few will always be sin. These go against God’s nature and will never be part of His will. Other universal truths will always be pleasing to God such as love (as defined in the Bible), honesty (with love), humility, and mercy. In many cases though, to live obediently Christians must be actively listening to God so they know what He wants.
Getting back to the question of fasting, under the Old Covenant, fasting was a requirement at specific times. Under the New Covenant there is no requirement to fast. I believe Jesus was telling the audience, and us, that they could not fast like they did before. They needed to listen to God and see how He was directing them. There have been times God told me to fast and I would have been disobedient if I had failed to do so. Other times I have chosen to fast, and it has been beneficial, but I was under no compulsion.
This is a principle that goes beyond fasting and affects every aspect of a Christian’s life. We must be in relationship with God so that we can hear Him. Too many Christians try to live like they are under the Old Covenant. They have lists of rules and try to follow them by their own strength. They are often miserable as they are pouring new wine into an old wineskin. The two are incompatible and will not work together. To have the joy, peace, and victory promised in the Bible we must live in relationship rather than by static laws because we are under a New Covenant.
Heavenly Father, I thank You for calling me to be Your child. Draw me ever closer into this relationship with You so that I can be sensitive to Your still small voice that guides me.